Early detection saves lives: Breast cancer survivor advocates for annual mammograms
Lisa King, an ultrasound technician at UPMC Washington, beat breast cancer because doctors found it early, and now King advocates for others to make sure they get their annual mammogram.
“Early detection saves lives,” said King, of Washington. “I think it’s just all about early detection and really making sure you’re getting your mammograms once a year, and doing what the radiologist’s recommendations are.”
It was in September 2021, a few days before her birthday, when King arrived for her mammogram. She wasn’t having any symptoms or signs of breast cancer, but with an extensive history of breast cancer in her family, she was diligent about getting checked annually.
This time, King had scheduled a breast MRI to accompany the mammogram. Her co-workers at UPMC Washington had long suggested she undergo a breast MRI, a screening that’s recommended for women at high risk for breast cancer.
“My lifetime risk is high because of my family history,” said King, 54, whose mother, grandmother, and grandmother’s sister, along with her father’s mom, all battled breast cancer. “I bucked (the breast MRI) for a few years, but I do breast ultrasounds and biopsies, and I saw a case that just bothered me because the woman was around my age and the (breast cancer) only showed up on the breast MRI.”
King’s MRI revealed “a very tiny area” that warranted additional imaging. A biopsy revealed invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc.
King was not surprised.
Her mother, Edla Bradley, has been diagnosed with breast cancer three times – at ages 60 and 63, and late in 2023 at age 79, and she underwent a bilateral mastectomy. King’s grandmother underwent a lumpectomy and radiation, and her mother’s sister ended up undergoing a bilateral mastectomy and chemo.
At the time King’s cancer was detected, the tumor was about 5 mm (the size of a pencil-top eraser).
King underwent a lumpectomy to remove the tumor, and followed that with 20 rounds of chemotherapy.
“We found it early. That’s the key. Early detection, treatment, and here I am. I just hit my three-year mark,” said King, noting her last screening showed no evidence of the disease.
Finding breast cancer early and getting state-of-the-art cancer treatment are two of the most important strategies for preventing deaths from breast cancer. Breast cancer that’s found early, when it is small and hasn’t spread, is easier to treat successfully.
And, said King, getting regular screening tests is the most reliable way to find breast cancer early.
Mammograms are recommended annually for women when they turn 40; however, those recommendations may be different for those who are at high risk for breast cancer.
King, who has dedicated her career to helping women detect a disease that has had such a personal impact on her life, has two daughters, Santana King, 24, and Angelina King, 21, who themselves fall into the high lifetime risk category.
King credits her colleagues, her husband, Michael (who got a tattoo commemorating King’s cancer battle), her family, and friends for helping her get through surgery and treatment.
Meal trains, care packages, cards, visits and phone calls provided King with much-needed emotional support.
“My mom is definitely the strongest person that I know. When she found out, she reassured everybody that it will be OK, she’d have to do surgery and she’d have to do radiation, but told us absolutely don’t worry,” recalled Santana. “The day after surgery, she went to my sister’s soccer game at Slippery Rock University to show us everything was OK. She kept on living her same life throughout treatment – she’d jump on the treadmill and exercise. She’s been an inspiration for us, and she’s a role model for me.”
Santana said she plans to be proactive and get a mammogram and testing done as soon as it’s recommended by her doctor.
Breast cancer is the second-most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women, and the disease will affect an average of 1 in 8 women during her lifetime.
King now is part of a “club” that she never asked to be a part of, but has met so many other inspirational women and men who are part of that same club.
As a health-care provider who has gone through cancer, King feels she understands patients who are battling or have survived cancer on a different level.
“It gives me a different perspective about my patient who might be going through this for the very first time, who doesn’t know all the things I already know,” said King, who was wearing a pink Breast Cancer Awareness bracelet.
She is an advocate that others be diligent in getting their annual mammograms and take other preventative measures, and noted October through November are busy months for mammograms.
“I believe wholeheartedly in getting mammograms and in putting your trust in your radiologist,” said King, sitting in a room at UPMC Washington Women’s Center in South Strabane Township, where diagnostic services including 3D mammography are offered. “Be diligent, do what’s recommended. Early detection matters.”